Sink having A Z edge for flush mounting in a laminated countertop and method of installing same

ABSTRACT

A sink which is designed for flush installation into a laminated kitchen or bathroom countertop, which eliminates the raised sink rim of the prior art thereby allowing water and debris to be wiped into the sink, which overcomes the limitations of and use of cove tile and moldings, which provides a means of preventing water migration under the laminate, which by design permits the countertop laminate to run up to and abut the sink edge providing a smooth and flush transition from laminate to sink deck and thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing and finished appearance.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosures made herein relate generally to original or aftermarketkitchen sinks, and more particularly to molded acrylic resin or formedmetallic sinks for use in a residential application such as, but notlimited to, application in a kitchen or a bathroom countertop. Moreparticularly, the subject inventive disclosure is to a sink providingfeatures enabling flush mounting into a laminated countertop wherein thelaminate extends to and abuts in a flush fashion with and smoothly tothe sink top, thereby providing a smooth finished appearance.

BACKGROUND

Sinks for use in kitchen or bathroom counter applications are well knownand are commonly available in various designs from various suppliers.Such sinks are available in a variety of materials and colors, as wellas various artistic designs. Among the known prior art designs are sinksthat are formed into the countertop resulting in a one piece countertopand sink design, while others are manufactured as add in sinks and aredesigned to be inserted into a properly sized and configured opening cutinto a countertop. Particularly kitchen sinks are often available havingtwo or more drain basins formed into a single sink frame body.

Sinks are commonly manufactured for the consumer market in at least twoforms, one being a drawn metallic sink produced from a single plate of,for example, stainless steel by use of a deep draw pressing process.Another form having greater popularity is the molded sink produced froma thermally formed or chemically cured acrylic resin. Such molded sinksare available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors and artisticdesigns, and having one or more drain basins.

Commonly known countertop mounting prior art kitchen and bathroom sinksare usually self-rimming sinks or surface mounting sinks. Theself-rimming sink has its own rim which is built into the sink bodyitself, whereas another variety of surface mounting sink must beattached by a provided separate metal rim affixed to the countertopopening edge by tightening screws and clip hardware. Both types of sinksare easily installed into countertops. Many commonly used varieties ofcountertops for residential application utilize a colored laminateoverlay which is adhesively secured to a countertop core material suchas wood to provide an artistically colored and sometimes patternedappearance. In fact, laminate covered countertops are the most commonvariety in residential applications.

A limitation of known surface mount and self-rimming sink designs isthat they have portions of the sink edge boundary or rim raised abovethe surrounding countertop, which is to say they do not provide a flush,smooth, finished appearance that is often found desirable by homeowners.

Another variety of sink which is available is the under mount sink. Thissink installs below the countertop surface, and is often installed intoa tile countertop. The under mount sink is rimmed with cove molding orcove tile to provide what is hoped to be a water tight closeout betweenthe countertop tile surface and the lip of the under mount sink. Anadvantage of the under mount installation with cove molding permitscountertop debris and water to be wiped directly into the sink.

A limitation of the earlier discussed self-rimming and surface mountsinks it that they have a raised rim around the periphery which preventswiping of debris and water into the sink.

A limitation of presently known under mount sink designs is that thesink deck edge is not flush with the countertop, but is instead recessedand does not provide a flush, clean, finished appearance.

Another limitation of presently known under mount sink designs is thatthe cove molding closeout can not be relied upon to remain water tight.Water which is wiped into the sink may migrate through cracks in thegrout of the cove molding tile and attack the wood underlayment of thecountertop, resulting in wood rot and deterioration of the woodunderlayment.

Another limitation of presently known under mount sink designs is thatthey are ideally installed into a tiled countertop, and due to the needfor cove moldings or tile, are not well suited for installation intolaminate covered countertops. Laminate countertops are more widely usedthan tiled countertops and so require a more appropriate solution.

Therefore, a sink which is designed for flush installation into alaminated kitchen or bathroom countertop, which eliminates the raisedsink rim of the prior art thereby allowing water and debris to be wipedinto the sink, which overcomes the limitations of and use of cove tileand moldings, which provides a means of preventing water migration underthe laminate, which by design permits the countertop laminate to run upto and abut the sink edge providing a smooth and flush transition fromlaminate to sink deck and thereby providing an aesthetically pleasingand finished appearance, such a sink design would be useful and novel.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Accordingly, embodiments of the inventive disclosures made hereincomprise various embodiments of a sink designed for flush mounting intoa laminate covered countertop.

Embodiments of the inventive disclosures herein relate generally tomolded or formed kitchen sinks having a substantially horizontal deckportion and a periphery flange circumferentially encompassing the deck,the flange portion being recessed slightly below the deck portion. Thedeck portion having one or more concave drain basins formedthere-through, said drain basins secured to or molded in one piece tothe deck portion. The top surface of the flange portion is recessedbelow the top surface of the sink deck by a thickness equivalent to thethickness of the countertop laminate, nominally 1/16th of an inch. Therecessed flange is installed into the core material of the countertopsuch that the top of the flange is level or flush with the top of thecountertop core material, usually wood or an adhesively bound woodcomposite such as particle board. With the sink flange top surface flushwith the countertop core material, the laminate may then be applied overthe countertop core and sink flange, seamlessly continuing thecountertop laminate over the sink flange surface to the edge of the sinkdeck. With the flange recessed below the sink deck by the thickness ofthe laminate, as discussed above, the countertop laminate is then flushor level with the sink deck providing a smooth, flush, finishedappearance.

In one or more embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein, thesink body comprises a one piece molded acrylic material, preferablycomprising methyl methacrylate.

In one or more embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein, thesink body comprises one or more formed metallic materials such as butnot limited to stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze.

In one or more embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein, thesink is a kitchen sink comprising one or more concave drain basins. Inthe case of a kitchen sink, this is usually one to three concave drainbasins, but the invention is not limited to this number and can have anynumber of drain basins.

In one or more embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein, thesink is a bathroom sink comprising one or more concave drain basins. Inthe case of a bathroom sink, this is usually one or sometimes twoconcave drain basins, but the invention is not limited to this numberand can have any number of drain basins.

In one or more embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein, thesink deck includes a region sized and adapted to receive a faucetassembly, providing that the faucet can be mounted to and supported bythe sink and therefore not be drilled through and mounted to thecountertop.

It is an objective of the inventive disclosure made herein to provide asink which is designed for flush installation into a laminate kitchen orbathroom countertop.

It is another objective of the inventive disclosure made herein toprovide a sink design which eliminates the raised sink rim of the priorart thereby allowing water and debris to be wiped into the sink,providing easy cleanup of the countertop region around the sink.

It is another objective of the inventive disclosure made herein toprovide a sink design which overcomes the limitations of and use of covetile and moldings as are commonly required on under mount sinks, andwhich provides a means of preventing water migration under the laminate.The wide flange area on the sink provides adequate surface area for theapplication of a self curing sealant or adhesive to the flange andthereby prevents migration of water to the underside of the countertoplaminate abutting the sink edge.

It is another objective of the inventive disclosure made herein toprovide a sink design which by design permits the countertop laminate torun up to the sink edge and provide a smooth and flush transition fromlaminate to sink deck and thereby providing an aesthetically pleasingand finished appearance,

These and other objects of the invention made herein will become readilyapparent upon further review of the following specification andassociated drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings show a form of the invention that is presently preferred;however, the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shownin the drawings.

FIG. 1 presents a top view of one embodiment of a flush mount kitchensink in accordance with the inventive disclosures herein.

FIG. 2 presents a front edge elevation view of one embodiment of a flushmount kitchen sink in accordance with the inventive disclosures herein.

FIG. 3 is a section of the sink rim to countertop interface of a priorart self-rimming sink.

FIG. 4 is a section of the sink rim to countertop interface of a priorart under mount recessed sink.

FIG. 5 is a section of the sink rim to countertop interface of a priorart surface mount sink.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In preparation for explaining the details of the present inventivedisclosure, it is to be understood by the reader that the invention isnot limited to the presented details of the construction, materials andembodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as theinvention concepts are clearly capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed and realized in various ways by applying the disclosurepresented herein.

Turning now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2:

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of one particular embodiment of the flushmount sink for installation in a laminate countertop in accordance withthe inventive disclosures presented herein. FIG. 2 is a front sideelevation of this same particular embodiment of the flush mount sink forinstallation in a laminate countertop in accordance with the inventivedisclosures presented herein. The depicted sink in this figure is akitchen sink, although the inventive concepts are equally applicable toother sinks such as bathroom or laundry room sinks installed intolaminated countertops. The inventive disclosures herein are not limitedto kitchen sinks. The sink comprises a sink frame 1 having asubstantially horizontal and planar sink deck 2. The sink deck has aperiphery outer edge 3 against which the countertop laminate will abutin a smooth and flush manner.

The sink further comprises a flange 4 molded with or secured to andformed outwards from the edge of the deck 2, the flange 4 having a topsurface 4 offset below the sink deck top surface, the flange offsetsized to substantially match thickness of the countertop laminate suchthat when the sink is installed into the countertop base material withthe flange top surface substantially flush with base top surface, thenthe laminate can be smoothly applied to the countertop core material andover the flange 4 to the sink deck edge 3 resulting in a flush fit ofthe sink deck and the applied laminate;

The sink in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 further comprises a faucet deck region 5sized and adapted to receive a faucet assembly mounted directly to thesink deck and thereby removing the necessity of drilling and mountingthe faucet deck through the laminate countertop.

The depicted specific embodiment of the sink further comprises twoconcave drain basins 6, although other embodiments of the sink can haveany number of concave drain basins without deviating from the inventivedisclosures herein.

The sink is installed into the countertop core material prior toadhesively securing the laminate countertop to the core. The sink isinstalled by removing sufficient countertop core material to produce anopening through the countertop sized to approximate the outside edge ofthe sink deck. A router or similar tool can then be used to rout arecessed lip into the countertop core material, the recessed lip sizedand configured to receive a sink flange, the recessed lip depth selectedto match the thickness of the flange such that when the sink isinstalled in the countertop the flange top surface is flush with the topsurface of the countertop core material. An adhesive material is thenapplied to the routed recessed lip receiving region in the corematerial. The sink can then be installed into the countertop core fromabove the countertop such that the flange and recessed lip align andsink flange top surface is flush with the countertop core top surface.The laminate can then be adhesively applied to the top of the countertopcore and continuing over the sink flange to abut to the sink deck outeredge in a flush manner, providing a smooth, flush and finished sinkinstallation into the laminated countertop.

Referring now to prior art sinks. FIG. 3 depicts the sink rim tocountertop interface area of a prior art self-rimming sink 10, having araised rim (also as 10) resting on countertop 11.

FIG. 4 depicts the sink rim to countertop interface area of a prior artunder mount recessed sink 12 resting on a ledge 15 of countertop 11, andhaving cove tile 14 or molding applied to bridge between the countertopsurface and the recessed sink edge.

FIG. 5 depicts the sink rim to countertop interface area of a prior artsurface mount sink 13 having a separate raised metal rim 16 and hardwaremounting the sink to the countertop 11.

The discussed construction, illustrations and sequence of operation isfor one embodiment of the invention, but is in no way limiting to otherembodiments. The operating modes may be changed and enhanced withoutdeviating from the intention of this inventive disclosure.

In the preceding detailed description, reference has been made to theaccompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown byway of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may bepracticed. These embodiments and certain variants thereof have beendescribed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art topractice the invention. It is to be understood that other suitableembodiments may be utilized and that logical, material, and mechanicalchanges may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention. To avoid unnecessary detail, the description omits certaininformation known to those skilled in the art. The preceding detaileddescription is, therefore, not intended to be limited to the specificforms set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to coversuch alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonablyincluded within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

1. A sink designed for flush mounting in a countertop having corematerial with a laminate applied thereto, the sink comprising: a formedsink frame comprising: a deck having a substantially horizontal topsurface and a periphery outside edge, said top surface of the deckadapted to be substantially flush with the laminate top surface whensink is installed into a countertop; a flange secured to and formedoutwards from the edge of the deck, the flange having a top surface,measuring approximately 1½ in width, offset below sink deck top surfacemeasuring approximately 1/16th, the flange offset sized and adapted tosubstantially match thickness of the countertop laminate such that whenthe sink is installed into the countertop core material with the flangetop surface substantially flush with core top surface so that thelaminate can be applied over the countertop core and sink flange to thesink deck edge resulting in a flush fit of the sink deck and the appliedlaminate; and one or more concave drain basins formed through the deckand secured to the deck.
 2. The sink according to claim 1, wherein thesink material comprises a molded acrylic resin.
 3. The sink according toclaim 1, wherein the sink material comprises a formed metallic materialselected from the group consisting of stainless steel, copper, brass,bronze.
 4. The sink according to claim 2 wherein the sink deck furthercomprises a faucet deck mounting region.
 5. The sink according to claim4 wherein the sink is a kitchen sink.
 6. The sink according to claim 4wherein the sink is a bathroom sink.
 7. The sink according to claim 2wherein the acrylic resin comprises methyl methacrylate.
 8. The sinkaccording to claim 7 wherein the concave drain basins comprise a leftdrain basin and a right drain basin; wherein the left drain basin hasdimensions of 14 inches wide by 10 inches high by 15 inches deep;wherein the right drain basin has dimensions of 10 inches wide by 8inches high by 10 inches deep; and wherein the sink deck dimensionsafter installation in the laminate would be 28 inches wide by 17 inchesdeep.
 9. A method of installing a sink adapted to flush mounting in alaminate countertop, the method comprising: removing sufficientcountertop core material to produce an opening through the countertopsized to approximate outside edge of sink deck; routing a recessed lipinto the countertop core material, the recessed lip sized and configuredto receive a sink flange wherein recessed lip depth selected to matchthickness of the flange such that when the sink is installed in thecountertop the flange top surface is flush with top surface of adjacentcountertop core material; applying adhesive to the routed recessed lipin the core material; installing the sink into the countertop core fromabove the countertop such that flange and recessed lip align and sinkflange top surface is flush with countertop core top surface; andadhesively securing countertop laminate over the countertop core andflange such that the laminate continues from the core over the flangeand substantially to outside edge of sink deck.